


Angels x of x Death

by cynicsAxiom



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: F/M, phantom troupe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26045971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynicsAxiom/pseuds/cynicsAxiom
Summary: Following the massacre at the Yorknew Auction, a group of mafia men follow up on a lead regarding information on the elusive Phantom Troupe. What they find is Michael, an odd man who claims to be romantically involved with one of the troupe members. What they get is much more than they bargained for.
Relationships: Machi (Hunter X Hunter)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	Angels x of x Death

A man stood on the curb, waiting for his car. He wore a sharp, dark-colored suit, and his hair had been slicked back with enough product to make it shine. He was in his thirties, but could possibly have passed for a slightly younger man. His arms were crossed over his chest, his freshly-polished shoes tapping against the smooth concrete as he glanced impatiently at his watch.  
A cool breeze fluttered down the avenue before him, reminding the man that September had come at last. The towering frame of the hotel rose into the early morning sky, casting a long shadow across the street. Standing in that shadow, the man furrowed his brow. The buildup to September had been quite something, and in many of the meetings he’d had with his associates, the anticipation and excitement had been palpable. But now, it was all starting to fall to pieces.  
At first, he had resented the Boss not letting him travel to Yorknew City with the rest of the entourage. It was supposed to be the biggest mafia event of the year, after all. Representatives from all over the world, from all the families scattered throughout, would be in Yorknew for the big auction, with all of their most important and most influential personnel. But the Boss had refused to let him attend.  
“Charlie, Charlie,” the Boss had said. “Listen, and I want you to listen good. I trust you more than anything, Charlie. I trust you with my life. That’s why I can’t take you with me.”  
“What do you mean, Boss?”  
“If, God forbid, something were to happen to me in Yorknew, Charlie,” he shook his head. “Who would be left in charge of the operation?”  
“Wouldn’t Domiano—”  
“Domiano? What are you, crazy?” the Boss chuckled. “Dom’s too young to lead right now. This Family needs someone experienced at the helm.”  
“The Family needs you, Boss.”  
“Damn right, the Family needs me,” he asserted. “But I’m telling you, Charlie, I got a bad feeling about this year’s auction.”  
“And you’re still gonna go?”  
“I gotta go, Charlie,” he said solemnly. “Our Family’s honor is on the line.”  
“Fine. Just don’t get yourself whacked.”  
“Not a chance,” he smirked. “So in the meantime, you’re staying here. Contact me if you need anything.”  
“Sure thing, Boss. See you back in a week or so.”  
“So long, Charlie.”  
Thinking back on it, Charlie clenched his jaw. That had been the last time he had seen the Boss before his trip to Yorknew City. The trip that had gotten him killed.  
A black Escalade whipped around the corner and pulled up in front of the hotel. Charlie quickly rubbed his eyes and got into the back of the car.  
“Sorry, boss,” said the driver, turning around to face him. “That parking garage can be a bitch.”  
“I don’t give a damn about your excuses!” snapped Charlie. “Just drive.”  
The driver nodded and pulled back out into the road.  
“So... where are we going?”  
It was Domiano, the Boss’ son. He was sitting up in the Escalade’s passenger seat, his black mop obscuring his eyes.  
“Put your hair back, Dom,” Charlie grunted. “Have some goddamn respect for yourself.”  
“Heh, whatever,” he snorted.  
Domiano was a teenager, so Charlie knew that this little tough guy act was just that. Dom had always been a blustery kid, but Charlie wasn’t sure how he was really coping with the loss of his father.  
“We’re gathering some info,” Charlie offered begrudgingly. “I got a tip-off this morning on some guy who’s supposed to be connected to those goons that attacked the auction venue.”  
A moment of icy silence passed through the car.  
“Is that so?” Domiano said at last, doing everything within his power to keep his voice from shaking.  
“Yeah,” Charlie nodded. “That’s why I thought you might want to come along today.”  
“Yeah,” Domiano’s voice cracked slightly.  
“You scared?”  
“Hell no,” Domiano growled. “I’m fucking furious.”  
Charlie smirked and leaned back in his seat. This poor bastard had no idea what was about to hit him.  
***  
The Escalade finally came to a stop outside a run-down apartment complex near the inner-city. It was shabbily built, and likely hadn’t seen any repairs in a decade or more. The paint on the wall was faded and peeling, and chunks of the grey plaster and concrete had been damaged or broken off.  
“This looks like the place,” Charlie grimaced. “Take us in, Lou.”  
The driver turned into the parking lot and began crawling along to look for the right building.  
“Up there,” said Charlie, leaning forward and pointing to a building a little ahead of them on their right.  
They parked the car out in front of the building and stepped out onto the sidewalk.  
“Alright,” Charlie grumbled, straightening out his suit jacket. “Let’s pay this punk a little visit.”  
The three of them walked up the first two flights of stairs, then strutted down the third floor hallway until they arrived at room 313.  
“Is this the one?” Domiano asked.  
“Should be,” Charlie nodded.  
“Let’s break his fucking knees.”  
“Slow down, kid,” Charlie chuckled. “You gotta have a little finesse with these things. Nine times out of ten, just showing someone your bat is enough to send a message.”  
“I don’t wanna send a message,” Domiano growled. “I wanna make him fucking pay.”  
“There’ll be plenty of time for that,” Charlie smirked, pulling a large handgun from inside his jacket. “But first, we need information.”  
Domiano crossed his arms and huffed as Charlie walked up to the door. With the back of his hand, he rapped his knuckles three times on the old, painted wood. At first there was no response, so he knocked again. Then he heard some faint shuffling from within the apartment. Charlie stepped back from the door as it opened, revealing a tall, slender man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He was rather unassuming, dressed in a pair of grey slacks and a cropped, black sweater. His dark, shoulder-length hair fell down and framed his slightly angular face. He was bleary-eyed and dazed, and he yawned as he surveyed the group of men now on his doorstep.  
“Can I... help you?” he mumbled lazily.  
“Yeah,” said Charlie. “I think you can. Are you Michael Konara?”  
“Who’s asking?”  
“We’re from the Community,” Charlie snarled. “We’ve got some questions for you.”  
“The community?” Michael cocked an eyebrow. “So you’re mafia, huh?”  
“That’s right, punk. Now, you gonna let us in? Or am I gonna have to do it myself?”  
“Alright, alright,” Michael smiled. “No need to get so pushy. I don’t mind letting you in.”  
He stepped aside and ushered the three men into his apartment. Lou and Domiano went in first, and Charlie stopped as he was crossing the threshold.  
“After you,” he gestured to the tall man.  
Michael grinned and bowed his head slightly before turning away from Charlie and heading into the apartment. Charlie followed and locked the apartment door behind him.  
Michael’s apartment was nothing much. It had a small kitchen area, where the tiles were cracked grimy, a long couch, a TV, and a bedroom off to one side. There was a large window on the far wall, covered by a pair of billowy, white curtains. The pale blue paint was peeling from the walls, revealing, in patches, the coat of mustard yellow beneath it. Domiano and Lou stood together in the living room area as Michael came in, and Charlie behind him. Michael walked behind the kitchen counter, putting it between him and the other two mafiosos. Charlie stood near the opening in the kitchen area, blocking Michael from escaping.  
“So,” Michael leaned back against the back wall. “What do you want to know?”  
“I hear you’ve got connections,” Charlie stared him down.  
“Is that so?”  
“Yeah. I also heard that these connections of yours may be responsible for everything what went down in Yorknew.”  
“Really?”  
“Really really,” Charlie’s voice hardened. “Know anything ‘bout all that?”  
“I really can’t say,” Michael shrugged.  
“That’s right, hold out on us,” Domiano growled. “Boy, I’d love to see your smug face stuffed in a bodybag.”  
“Dom,” Charlie barked sternly, holding out his hand to quiet the boy.  
“I’m just sayin’,” Domiano continued. “I bet you’d look real funny trying to walk with your kneecaps on backwards.”  
“Wow, you guys are intense,” Michael chuckled.  
“You’d better talk, ass hole,” Charlie said, turning back to Michael. “Or I’ll just let the kid go to town on you.”  
“I never said I wouldn’t talk,” Michael raised his hands apologetically. “It’s just that; your question was so vague.”  
Charlie glowered silently at him and racked the slide on his handgun.  
“Oh, alright,” Michael put a hand to his chin in contemplation. “Let’s see... You’re here because of whatever happened in Yorknew City. I presume this has something to do with the Phantom Troupe, otherwise you wouldn’t be here...”  
Domiano shot Charlie a glance. Charlie just shrugged.  
“... Now, I would assume that since you, specifically, are here, the Spiders must have done something to make enemies of the Mafia. And the biggest mafia event in Yorknew in the last couple days would be...”  
Suddenly, Michael’s eyes shot open and he snapped his fingers triumphantly.  
“I’ve got it! The Troupe must have targeted the Yorknew Auction!”  
Charlie gritted his teeth as Michael turned to him, a wide, almost goofy grin spread across his face.  
“Well? Did I get it?”  
“Don’t play dumb with me, punk.”  
“Au contraire!” Michael placed a hand on his chest. “I would never think to lie to someone like you.”  
“So you’re telling me you don’t know anything?”  
“Not about the Yorknew job, no,” Michael shook his head. “Machi doesn’t really like to discuss her missions. And besides, their Boss never tells them what they’re getting up to until they’re about to get started, anyway.”  
“Their Boss?” asked Domiano. “You mean, the Spiders?”  
“That’s right, kid,” Michael smiled at him. “They’re a pretty secretive bunch.”  
“So you are working for them,” Charlie lifted his gun slightly.  
“Not quite,” Michael said, wagging a finger at Charlie. “I’m more of an... acquaintance, to most of the members anyway.”  
“What’s that supposed to mean?”  
“Well,” he smirked. “My girlfriend’s Number 3.”  
“Your... your what?”  
“My girlfriend.”  
“Your girlfriend is one of those... those monsters?”  
“Oh, come now, they’re not monsters at all! Ruthless criminals, yes, but no more monstrous than you or me.”  
Charlie couldn’t believe it. This gangly mess of a man was intimately involved with a member of the Phantom Troupe?  
“You’re full of shit,” Domiano groaned. “Charlie, just off this guy already. He’s just wasting our time.”  
“Oh, no, not at all,” Michael smiled. “I can prove it.”  
“How?” Charlie asked skeptically.  
Michael didn’t say a word, but instead reached over and took a small picture frame from off the counter top. He handed it to Charlie.  
The frame held a small photograph of two people in front of the city’s fairgrounds. One of them was Michael, with what appeared to be his signature grin. The other was a young woman, much shorter than Michael, with wild pink hair and a blank expression on her face.  
“That’s her,” Michael crooned. “That’s my Machi.”  
“I see...”  
Charlie examined the picture a little closer. No doubt about it, that was the girl from the communiqué they’d received from the Community following the Yorknew incident.  
“Well, that’s good enough for me,” Charlie handed the picture back to Michael. “So how about you tell us everything you know about the Phantom Troupe?”  
“Everything I know?” Michael looked surprised. “Hmm... that could take a while. It might be best for us all to take a seat first.”  
***  
“So,” Michael began. “The Phantom Troupe.”  
He was sitting backwards on a small desk chair, his arms resting across the back. He was facing away from the window, with the three mafiosos between him and the front door. Charlie had found a chair of his own and was sitting down, while Domiano and Lou stood on either side.  
“I suppose you already know the basics. That they’re a gang of international thieves and murderers. Class A bounties all. There’s thirteen of them: the Boss, and the twelve ‘legs.’”  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Charlie gestured with his gun. “Everyone knows that stuff.”  
“Of course,” nodded Michael. “But what most people don’t know, is that there’s a much softer side to them.  
“That so?”  
“Mm-hm. They’re really quite charitable, and do a fair share of philanthropic work. Not to mention the fact that they’re all so close, they’re practically a family.  
“In fact,” Michael continued. “I’d even go so far as to say that their bonds might be stronger than that, so much so that I doubt I’d be able to do them justice in words. The Troupe members are fiercely loyal to one another, and particularly loyal to their leader.”  
“What’s his name?” Charlie asked with a flat tone.  
“Chrollo Lucilfer.”  
Michael said the name matter-of-factly, but Charlie could hear a hint of admiration in his voice.  
“Some name,” Domiano snorted.  
“You wouldn’t be laughing,” Michael glared at Domiano. “If you had ever met the man.”  
“What’s so special about this ‘Chrollo’ guy?”  
“He’s incredibly powerful. So powerful, that not even the strongest among the Spiders would ever dare to challenge him. On top of that, he’s very charismatic, and wields an assertive, purposeful, almost dominating aura.”  
“Sounds like quite the character,” Charlie remarked.  
“You don’t even know the half of it.”  
“And what about the others?” Charlie asked. “You met any of them?”  
“Oh, I suppose I’ve met them all at one point or another. I’ve never seen them all together at once, but a couple will come around every now and again to pay Machi a visit.”  
“I’m curious,” Charlie tapped the gun on his chin. “How exactly did you get mixed up in all of this?”  
“With the Phantom Troupe? Well, that’s a bit of a story.”  
“I mean, it can’t be too complicated, right? You hooked up with Munchy, or whatever her name is, and next thing you knew you were neck-deep in it?”  
“Her name’s Machi,” Michael glowered. “And no, that’s not how it happened at all.”  
“Well then, by all means,” Charlie gestured. “Do tell.”  
There was a brief moment of silence before Michael finally relented.  
“Fine,” he said, clearing his throat.  
***  
Machi and I actually met, of all places, at a coffee shop. Well, that’s where I first saw her, anyway.  
I was out in the market district, looking for a breath of fresh air. While on my little stroll, I decided to stop by one of those little cafés by the waterway. It was a lovely day, sunshine, a slight breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. I was just sitting down at one of the little garden tables with my drink when I noticed her walking up to the store.  
Keep in mind, she’s the kind of girl you really can’t help but notice. As you know, her hair is very pink.  
(Michael chuckled at this.)  
And that’s not all. She’s got a very distinct style. You don’t see too many people sporting traditional dress these days. She’ll tell you it’s just because they’re comfortable, and that it’s not a style, but it absolutely is.  
Anyway, none of that was the reason I noticed her at first. When she walked by me, I could feel a sort of... presence. She’s got the kind of aura that turns heads, you know? So, of course, I turned to look. And, I mean, she really is stunning. Her hair is so vibrant, and her eyes? They’re cold and intense, and every bit as breathtaking as you could possibly imagine. It was only a few brief moments, but I couldn’t seem to pull my eyes away from her.  
Not long afterward, she walked back out of the café and sat herself down, only a couple tables away from me. I was captivated by her. I had never met this woman before in my life, but there was something about her that told me she was special. I had contemplated going over and introducing myself, but she had this really intense look in her eyes that – if I’m being honest – kind of intimidated me.  
Anyhow, before I had worked up the courage to go against my better judgement and talk to her, she got up and left. That likely would have been the end of it, had I not noticed a group of suspicious-looking thugs nod to each other and tail her as she was leaving. So, I did what any sensible man who had just witnessed the prelude to a terrible crime would do: I followed them as well.  
I hung back a ways so as not to catch the thugs’ attention. They were burly guys in sleeveless biking jackets. I couldn’t see their patches clearly, but I assumed they must have been part of one of the local gangs. Given that, I wasn’t too worried about being noticed, but I still didn’t want to take any chances.  
Machi was taking all of these sharp turns, walking down different alleys and streets, until eventually we started getting into one of the shadier parts of town. Never once did she turn around, and never once did her stalkers give any indication they would be leaving her alone. I was following the gang about fifty feet back when I saw Machi turn down an alleyway. I was familiar enough with the layout of the city to know that it would be a dead-end, and I was certain the thugs would know that as well. As the three goons turned and followed her around the corner, I began to steel myself. I had never really intervened in a situation like this before, and I was more than a little nervous. But I knew that I had to keep that girl safe, no matter what harm might have come to me.  
I heard them talking at the far end of the alley as I approached the corner.  
“So, you’re the ones who’ve been following me,” Machi had said. “What a waste of time.”  
The thugs snickered and began to advance on her.  
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be, princess,” one of the guys grumbled. “Don’t bother putting up a fight.”  
Machi seemed relatively unbothered, but I couldn’t bear to just stand by and watch it happen. So I ran into the alley and stopped a few feet short of the group of assailants.  
“Hey!” I’d shouted. “Leave her alone!”  
One of the guys turned over his shoulder to look at me. He had this evil, sadistic grin on his face.  
“What did you say?”  
“I said, leave her alone.”  
The other two looked back at me as well, each looking as murderous as the other. I was terrified, but I was determined to stand my ground.  
“Oh, yeah?” one of the goons started coming towards me. “Why don’t you make me?”  
“Hey, man, don’t worry about me,” Machi called out to me. “Get out of here before you get yourself hurt.”  
“Don’t think we’re done with you, girlie,” one of the men snapped.  
“C’mon, beanpole,” the first one taunted me, pulling out a long knife. “You wanna save the princess here, eh? Well, you gotta stop me, first!”  
I knew I was hopelessly in over my head. At the time, I wasn’t much of a fighter, per se, and I knew that just one of these guys could easily trounce me, not to mention three of them. But I couldn’t just back down. I was in it now, and I was going to see it through. I grit my teeth and charged at the guy with the knife.  
I was on the ground in a matter of seconds. It all happened so fast, and the next thing I knew, I was being kicked, cut, and beaten on the dirty concrete ground of the alley. All three of them were on top of me, bashing me with their fists, the one of them using his knife to stab me in the chest, slash at my arms, and basically dice up whatever he could reach. The pain alone nearly made me black out. But I knew it would have been worth it if I had given that girl an opening, if only for a couple seconds.  
Suddenly, in a flash, each of the thugs was thrown off of me. I watched as this diminutive young woman lifted these fully-grown, adult men and slammed them down with such force that the ground cracked beneath them. I was bleeding out, and my vision was beginning to get hazy, but I saw her take what looked like a sewing needle and, in a mere blink of an eye, string the three men up and leave them in a crumpled pile at the back of the alley. Then she turned and began to come towards me.  
“Idiot,” she muttered as she stared down at my battered form. “I told you to get out of here, didn’t I?”  
I couldn’t respond. I was losing blood fast, and things weren’t looking so good for me. She just sighed and knelt down by my side. Her hands began to move so quickly, I wouldn’t have been able to follow them even if I hadn’t been on the brink of death.  
“That really was a stupid thing for you to do,” she glared at me, fixing me with her icy blue eyes. “I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do with you now?”  
The last thing I saw as my vision finally went dark was the corner of her thin mouth, twitching ever-so-slightly up to mark her face with a soft smile.  
When I came back around, I was in a small bed in a cramped hotel room. The overhead light was off, but there was a desk lamp on the bedside table. I tried to sit up in the bed, but I felt a shooting pain all throughout my body. I fell back to the pillows with little more than a grunt.  
“Oh. You’re awake.”  
I looked over and saw her standing near a window. The curtains were mostly drawn, though there was a slight gap through which a splash of moonlight was spilling into the room and onto her face.  
“Don’t try to move yet,” she said, walking over to the bed. “I stitched up the lacerations, but there wasn’t much I could do about the bruising. That, you’ll just have to let heal on its own.”  
“You... you saved my life,” I rasped. “Thank you.”  
“Don’t mention it,” she crossed her arms. “Seriously.”  
“Can you tell me your name?”  
“No. Also, you owe me fifty million jenny.”  
I remember I nearly choked when she said that.  
“Fif— fifty million?”  
“Life saving operations aren’t free, you know.”  
I was stunned for a moment, but on the other hand, I couldn’t really refute her logic.  
“Alright,” I said. “I don’t have that much on me, though.”  
“I know,” she said, holding up my wallet and tossing it onto the nightstand.  
“I’ll have to go out and rustle it up.”  
“I suppose so.”  
“But I’ll need to know your name.”  
“Why?”  
“So I can find you again.”  
She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.  
“I’m trying to let you get out of it, you know.”  
“I don’t want to get out of it,” I told her. “You saved my life.”  
“Well, don’t take it personally,” she put her hands on her hips and glared at me again. “I’m just returning a favor.”  
“A favor, huh?” I grinned. “You didn’t need me to handle those guys at all.”  
“No, I didn’t. But I appreciated the gesture.”  
“Hm.”  
I turned away from her with a lingering smirk and stared up at the ceiling. A moment of silence passed between us before she sighed again.  
“My name... is Machi,” she offered begrudgingly.  
I turned back to her.  
“Michael.”  
“Nice to meet you.”  
I tried to sit up again, and managed to get my body upright. I was still incredibly sore, but I at least wanted to be at eye-level when talking to her.  
“What the hell are you doing?”  
“Sitting up?” I groaned.  
“That’s stupid,” she asserted. “I already told you, you’re not fit to be moving around right now.”  
“Well, I can’t just stay in your hotel room forever.”  
“No. But you can at least spend the night resting.”  
“And what will you do? I’m in your bed.”  
“Don’t worry about it,” she waved her hand dismissively. “I’ve got something to do tonight anyway, so I won’t be here much. At least this way, the bed will actually get some use.”  
And with that, she slung a small bag over her shoulder and walked to the door.  
“Wait,” I called out to her. “Are you coming back?”  
She turned around for a moment, and just smirked.  
“Maybe.”  
Then, she walked out the door, and I went back to sleep.

***

“So that’s how you met the Phantom Troupe’s Machi?” Charlie asked, leaning back in his chair.  
“Yep,” Michael nodded. “That’s how it happened. Except, of course, I didn’t know she was affiliated with the Spiders yet. I really didn’t know much of anything about her.”  
“But you did find out eventually, right?”  
“Well... yeah,” Michael chuckled. “But that wasn’t until a couple months later.”  
“What happened?”  
Michael laughed.  
“Eager, aren’t we?”  
“Well, you still haven’t given us any info on the troupe yet,” Charlie sneered. “So I’m just trying to cut to the chase.”  
“What’s the rush?” Michael shrugged. “Have you got somewhere to be?”  
Charlie narrowed his eyes.  
“Well, I haven’t got all day, if that’s what you’re asking.”  
“Fine, fine,” Michael waved him off. “The next morning, I found Machi asleep on the floor of the hotel room. She was leaning up against the wall, her bag next to her.  
“I was feeling a little better, so I got up out of bed and stumbled to the washroom. When I came out, Machi was already up and awake. We made some small talk, and then I commented on how impressive her power had been the day before. She offered to teach me her secret, ostensibly because she didn’t want to have to stitch me up again.”  
Michael chuckled and shook his head.  
“That woman...”  
“Well?” Charlie pushed. “What happened?”  
“Are you familiar,” Michael began, without looking up at Charlie and the others. “With the concept of Nen?”  
“Nen, huh?” Charlie scratched his chin. “Yeah, I’ve heard of it. It’s some kind of power, right?”  
“Nen is a power, yes, but it is much more complicated than that. To fully understand and master it, one must first become attuned to their own aura.”  
“Aura?” asked Charlie, his face skeptical.  
“I’m not going to describe the process to you,” Michael shook his head. “But suffice to say, Machi taught me just about everything she knew about Nen. Over the course of the next several months, I became her student, training under her direction and sparring with her to put my applications of her training to the test. It was during one of these sparring sessions that I discovered her ties to the Spiders.  
“We were training in one of the old courtyards near this apartment complex. I had managed to get behind her and make an attack, which she, of course, dodged. However, she wasn’t able to get fully out of the way, and my Nen strike tore a piece off of the back of her top. The tear exposed her right shoulder, as well as the twelve-legged spider tattooed on it, with the number three marked on its abdomen.  
“We both froze for a moment, and Machi concluded our training early that day. Obviously, I knew what I had seen, though I must admit, it had been a startling revelation at the time. However, I wasn’t afraid of her. I tried asking her about it, but she insisted that it wasn’t something she wanted to discuss.  
“We continued our training afterwards, albeit at a much lesser frequency. Things went on this way for a few weeks before I finally confronted Machi, and told her that, Spider or not, I had no intention of forsaking her. You see, prior to meeting Machi, I was a criminal myself. Mostly low-end burglaries and other petty crimes, but I understood better than most what life was like for criminals like us.”  
“And what did she say?” asked Domiano.  
“Hmph,” Michael snorted. “She said that I didn’t know a damn thing about her, and that I should shut up before she killed me.”

***

“Machi, I—”  
“You really don’t know when to stop talking, do you?”  
Her eyes were harder than I had ever seen them before. She was walling herself off from me, keeping her face an iron mask. But in that moment, there was nothing I wanted more than to get through to her.  
“I’m not afraid of the Spiders, Machi.”  
“Well you should be,” she glared. “This isn’t some game, you know. Each of the Spiders is powerful enough to warrant the Class A bounties on our heads. You don’t even have the slightest clue what we’re like.”  
“Then why don’t you show me?”  
“Have you been listening to a word I’ve said?” Machi raised her voice slightly. “We are done talking about this.”  
She turned away from me and picked up her bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, she began walking toward the exit.  
“Where are you going?” I asked.  
She stopped.  
“I’m leaving,” she said without turning around. “I’ve taught you everything I plan on teaching, so I’m done here. I’ve got one last job to do here, and then I’, gone.”  
“I want to go with you.”  
“You can’t.”  
“Then let me just say something. Before you disappear forever.”  
We both stood there for a moment, frozen, ten feet apart. Finally, Machi turned around.  
“What is it?” she said coldly.  
“Machi,” I began. “Before you and I met, I had no reason for being. I was surviving, day-to-day, simply for the sake of not dying. When I ran into that alley, I was fully prepared to lay down my life for you. Because I knew then, as I know now, that you’re special. You saved my life, not just by healing my wounds, but by giving me a purpose again. I owe you everything I have to give.”  
“I never asked for any of that.”  
“You didn’t have to. I offer it to you freely. There is not a country, nor an organization, nor another person on the planet who could shake my convictions. I’d follow you to the ends of the earth, if that’s what you wanted. I’m yours, regardless of your affiliation with the Phantom Troupe.”  
I knelt down and bowed my head.  
“I intend to serve you until the day I die.”  
There was a solemn silence as I knelt there, staring at the ground, waiting for Machi to say something. Anything.  
“Tch,” she said at last. “That’s stupid.”  
She walked over to me and put her hands on her hips.  
“Get up. You don’t need to kneel in front of me.”  
I stood up and looked down at her. Her face seemed to have softened a bit, and her eyes were flicking back and forth trying to read me. I steadied my gaze. I had meant every word I said, and I wanted her to know it.  
“God, you’re dumb,” she shook her head. “Fine, you can come with me. But don’t get in my way, and don’t get caught, because I absolutely will leave you behind.”  
I smiled and nodded.  
“I won’t let you down.”  
“Yeah, well,” Machi said, turning around again. “We’ll see about that.”

***

“Before we do this, there’s one thing I’d like to make very clear,” Machi said as we walked toward the target location. “My first and only obligation is to the Troupe.”  
“Right.”  
“Which means that Troupe business supersedes anything going on between the two of us.”  
“Sure.”  
“Alright then.”  
We proceeded in silence, strolling through the narrow, busy side streets of the city. Eventually, Machi signaled to me and we both ducked into an alley.  
“Alright. Our target is just around this next corner,” she gestured. “We’re going up on the roof to get a look.”  
Machi jumped up onto a nearby fire escape, then gestured for me to follow. I jumped up as well, and the two of us began climbing the fire escape to the roof of the building.  
When we got to the top, Machi and I made our way over to the edge of the roof and looked down at our target.  
“We’re robbing... the museum?”  
“Well, technically, we’re burglarizing,” Machi said, her eyes glued to the front entrance. “But yeah, that’s the plan.”  
“Are we looking for anything in particular?” I asked.  
“There’s a painting,” she said. “Renaissance-era. It’s one of the Boss’s favorite pieces.”  
“Hmm,” I nodded. “What does it look like?”  
“You’ll know it when you see it.”  
“Right.”  
I followed Machi’s gaze to the front steps of the museum. Three figures stood near the sidewalk. They were huddled together, and their faces were obscured. They all wore loose, dark clothes and seemed to be talking about something.  
“Who are those three?” I asked.  
“Not sure,” Machi murmured, her focus still on the figures in black. “But something tells me we won’t be the only ones in the museum tonight.”  
“You think they’re planning a break-in, too?”  
“Just a hunch.”  
“Hmph,” I smirked. “Good enough for me.”  
We watched them for a few more minutes, then the figures seemed to disperse. It was late afternoon, and we still had a few hours until we would be ready to head in.  
“So,” I asked. “What’s the plan?”  
“Assuming there aren’t any surprises, we’ll likely be fine walking in through the front door. Then, it’s just a matter of locating the painting and getting out with it undetected.”  
“Sounds simple enough.”  
“But that’s assuming there aren’t any surprises,” Machi turned to me. “There are always surprises.”

***

Sure enough, as we were making our final preparations, a squad of police cars flooded in from around the corner, lights flashing and sirens wailing. Officers dressed in tactical gear and carrying high-power weaponry flooded the front steps of the museum, forming a protective perimeter.  
“Damn it,” Machi swore under her breath.  
“It looks like they’re expecting us.”  
“That son of a bitch... I’ll beat the crap out of him when I see him.”  
“What’s that?”  
“It’s nothing,” Machi stood up. “We’ll need a slight change of plan.”  
“What do you suggest?”  
Machi put a hand to her chin and thought for a moment.  
“We shouldn’t have any issue fighting our way through those cops,” she thought out loud. “But I’d really rather we didn’t waste our time on them. Instead—”  
Machi pointed across the street to the museum roof.  
“We’ll get in that way.”  
“But how?” I asked. “How are we going to get across the street without being seen?”  
“I think I’ve got an idea.”  
Machi drew one of her sewing needles from the pincushion on the back of her glove, and immediately her aura flared to life.  
“I’ll use Nen Thread to bridge the gap,” she explained, jamming the needle into the concrete on the edge of our building. “We should be able to make it across safely if we mask our presence.”  
She drew a second needle and tied it to the first, before throwing it like a dart across the street and onto the roof of the museum. Machi drew the line tight and tied it off before mounting the thin aura wire.  
“Wait,” I stopped her.  
Machi turned over her shoulder.  
“What is it?”  
“Will I be able to cross your Nen wire?”  
“Don’t worry,” she smirked. “As long as the line remains unbroken, you shouldn’t have any problems.”  
“Well, that’s reassuring.”  
“Just don’t lose your balance,” she winked before dashing across the line.  
She was absolutely incredible. The grace and speed with which she crossed the street were mesmerizing. Her agility was truly something to behold. And, on top of that, she was able to maintain her Nen Thread at full power, over that distance, while having to keep her balance and run across and being sure to mask her presence using In. I had been training under her long enough to be proficient in the use of Nen, but I knew that I wasn’t anywhere near Machi’s level of mastery. She made all of this look easy.  
When Machi had made it across the gap, she hopped off onto the museum roof and signaled for me to cross over as well. It was going to be tricky, since she had to maintain her In to avoid detection, meaning that I wouldn’t be able to see or sense her threads. I was just going to have to run across blind.  
While entering a state of Zetsu, I slowly stepped out onto the edge of the roof and used my foot to feel around for the thread. It was barely perceptible, but I found it eventually. As I stepped out over the street, I could see Machi on the other side looking impatient. I needed to get across quickly, or else she’d probably just cut the line and leave me. I took a deep breath and dashed forward.  
I had made it about half way across when I felt my balance beginning to teeter. I doubled down and tried to make it across, but I slipped and began to fall off to the side. Looking down at the suddenly terrifying prospect of falling directly into a crowd of heavily armed police officers, I began to panic slightly. I wasn’t worried for my own safety so much as I was worried about giving away Machi’s position, although I knew that I would probably get roughed up pretty badly myself if I didn’t act quickly. I made a desperate grab and luckily managed to get a couple fingers around Machi’s thread before I plummeted to the city street below.  
The thread was thin, barely there, so it wasn’t easy to get my hands around. But, I managed to cling to it and climb across the rest of the way. I scrambled up onto the roof, and Machi just shook her head.  
“I thought I told you not to lose your balance.”  
“I didn’t,” I smiled. “I was just showing off.”  
“Yeah, right,” she smirked. “Now come on. We’ve still got a job to do.”  
We walked across the roof to a small skylight. Peering inside, I saw a small balcony overlooking one of the big exhibition rooms.  
“We should be able to get in through this skylight,” Machi said, drawing her needles back in from the roof across the street. “Can you pry it open?”  
I felt around the edges of the glass, but couldn’t find any purchase.  
“I think it might be sealed in.”  
“Fine,” Machi sighed. “We’ll just have to break it, then.”  
She knelt down, raised her fist in the air, and slammed it down on the glass, shattering it instantly. The whole skylight fell through, leaving an opening just big enough for us to squeeze through.  
“I’ll go first,” Machi said before hopping down onto the pile of broken glass.  
I lowered myself down behind her as she was surveying the surrounding exhibit. The balcony primarily had some small sculptures, separated from one another by about ten feet or so. Some were of people, some of animals, and others were more on the abstract side. Hanging down from the ceiling, in the center of the room, was a large and impressive glass-blown chandelier, apparently made by a famous glass worker. The balcony ran a complete loop of the room around the chandelier, and a small staircase nearby led to the lower level.  
“I don’t sense anyone in this room,” Machi looked around, cautiously. “But there will probably be guards closer to where the painting is kept.”  
We crept down the stairs onto the main floor and snuck through one of the doors leading to the other parts of the museum. This area seemed to be the right one, as the walls were lined with paintings and prints of contemporary pieces. Machi led the way down a long hallway, and stopped outside a large set of oak double doors.  
“The exhibition room should be just on the other side of this door,” she whispered. “Be ready for anything.”  
We both reached for one of the doors to open it, when suddenly we heard a loud slam come from inside the room.  
“Freeze!” someone yelled, and we could hear the sound of guns being readied  
A sound like someone talking was heard. It sounded like a low, masculine voice, but it was too muffled to be made out clearly.  
“Son of a bitch...” Machi muttered again.  
There was a sudden and sporadic burst of gunfire, before it was interrupted by several loud thuds. After a few moments of quiet, Machi sighed and nodded to me. We pushed open the doors and entered into the room.  
Standing there, surrounded by the bodies of at least a dozen police officers, were three rather unusual-looking figures. The first was a gaunt man with his hair up in a top-knot. He wore a purple robe and had an impressive katana hanging from his waist. The second was a blonde woman dressed in a dark purple suit jacket and matching skirt. And the third was a short young woman in a black turtleneck sweater. She wore big glasses and seemed to be holding a vacuum cleaner... with teeth.  
“Hey, Machi!” the man called out happily. “What a coincidence seeing you here!”  
Machi didn’t say a word, instead just walking right up to the man and punching him square in the jaw. He staggered a little to the right, but regained his balance quickly.  
“Owww...” he groaned, rubbing his face. “What the hell was that for?”  
“For setting us up, you jerk.”  
“So...” I said looking at the other two. “Is this the ‘company’ you mentioned?”  
“Yeah,” Machi walked back towards me. “I’d like you to meet some friends of mine.”  
Machi introduced the man in the robe as Nobunaga, Phantom Troupe Member Number One, and the woman in the suit as Pakunoda, Phantom Troupe Member Number Nine.  
“And this,” Nobunaga gestured to the girl with the glasses. “Is our new Member Number Eight, Suzuki!”  
“Actually, my name is Shizuku,” she stated flatly.  
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Nobunaga waved her off. “Anyway, long time, no see, huh?”  
“Yes, it has been a while, hasn’t it?” Pakunoda smirked. “Who’s your friend, Machi?”  
“He’s nobody,” Machi stared daggers at them. “He’s just... some guy.”  
“Um... my name’s Michael.”  
“Michael, huh?” Nobunaga chuckled. “That’s perfect!”  
“Mmm, I agree,” giggled Pakunoda.  
“Oh, yeah, Machi and Michael! Michael and Machi!”  
“Would you two cut it out?!” Machi snapped at them.  
“Ah, lighten up, Machi, it was just a joke,” Nobunaga grinned.  
“Tch. Whatever,” she glared. “What the hell are you doing here, anyway?”  
“Bringing the new kid on her first job,” Nobunaga nodded to Shizuku. “Boss asked us to break her in and all that.”  
“That’s fine, but why did you take it upon yourselves to interrupt my mission?”  
“Eh,” Nobunaga shrugged. “It was nearby.”  
“At first we were just going to say hello as we passed through,” Pakunoda offered. “But we decided to stay for the museum heist.”  
“Well, you could have given me a little warning first.”  
“But where’d be the fun in that?” Nobunaga grinned.  
Machi decked him again, and while he was reeling back, she turned to Pakunoda.  
“Alright, so, what’s her deal?” she asked, pointing a thumb at Shizuku.  
“The Boss found her,” Pakunoda shrugged. “She’s smart, and she’s got a pretty interesting power.”  
Machi turned to the girl gestured to her vacuum cleaner.  
“I’m assuming that’s some sort of Nen construct,” she said. “You’re a Conjurer, then?”  
“That is correct,” Shizuku nodded. “This is Blinky.”  
Blinky stuck its tongue out and made a soft gurgling sound, almost something akin to an infant child.  
“I see...” Machi cocked an eyebrow. “And what exactly does Blinky... do?”  
“Ah, well, if you don’t mind,” Shizuku pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. “I’ll simply demonstrate.”  
I watched as she flicked a small switch on Blinky’s handle and touched the mouth down on the floor.  
“Blinky,” she ordered. “Suck up all the bodies and blood.”  
The vacuum let out a gleeful gargle before beginning to forcefully suck all of the corpses towards itself. The bodies of the police officers slowly slid over to Blinky’s gaping maw and, one by one, disappeared inside. After about thirty seconds, the floor was completely spotless.  
“That... that’s incredible,” I murmured in awe.  
“Thank you.”  
“So,” Machi crossed her arms. “You can suck up anything you want with that ‘Blinky’ thing?”  
“So long as it isn’t alive,” Shizuku nodded. “Yes.”  
“Her power’s really something, isn’t it?” Nobunaga smirked.  
“Yeah,” Machi agreed. “I can see why the Boss picked her out.”  
“Anyway, we’ve got a painting to steal. So how about we get to it?”  
Nobunaga marched past Machi and right up to a large painting being displayed directly on the wall.  
“What the hell?” he puzzled. “The damn thing’s a mural?”  
“Yeah,” Machi said. “And a pretty big one, at that.”  
The mural had been taken from an old religious site somewhere in the world, and depicted a long table with food on it. Thirteen men were seated at the table, Jesus and his Twelve Disciples. It was an old and famous work. And, apparently, the Boss of the Phantom Troupe wanted it.  
“Well, damn. I guess I’ll just have to use my sword,” Nobunaga groaned.  
He drew his Katana and, in a flash, began slicing through the museum wall. In a matter of seconds, “The Last Supper” was cleanly cut out of the wall, and Nobunaga managed to pop it out of the hole by wedging his katana into the gap.  
“The problem is, how are we gonna get it out of here?” he pondered out loud. “Hey, new girl. Do you think your vacuum can handle this?”  
“I suppose it’s worth a shot,” Shizuku shrugged.  
She switched on Blinky and ordered it to suck up the mural. Blinky squealed with delight before getting to work. As it began to suck in, it almost seemed as if space itself were distorting and warping to allow the mural to be drawn into Blinky’s relatively tiny mouth. When it had finished, Blinky let out a tiny burp and lolled its tongue out playfully.  
“Good job, Blinky,” Shizuku patted the little vacuum cleaner.  
“Well, then,” Machi said, sounding genuinely impressed.  
“Now that that’s taken care of,” Nobunaga chuckled. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

***

“So,” I said to Machi as we were walking back to my apartment. “You knew the thing was a mural?”  
“Of course.”  
“And the two of us were going to retrieve it... how?”  
“I had a plan.”  
“Sure you did,” I chuckled.  
We had parted ways with Pakunoda, Nobunaga, and Shizuku back at the museum, and now we were just walking together down the quiet city streets. It was a clear night, comfortably cool, and white light of the street lamps flashed and flickered with the distant sounds of music and police sirens.  
“Well, you got to meet some of my friends tonight,” Machi said after a long silence.  
“I could tell they were pretty powerful,” I said. “All of their auras were so intense.”  
“What, did they scare you?” Machi turned to me.  
“No, not at all,” I chuckled. “They seemed nice enough.”  
“Well, that’s probably just because you had me around.”  
“I’m sure you’re right.”  
We continued in silence the rest of the way to my apartment building. It had been a pretty eventful day, although I was still unsure how Machi was feeling about everything. She really can be damn near impossible to read sometimes. Her eyes were as sharp and focused as ever, but at the same time she seemed to be lost in thought. Light spilled down onto her face as we passed under a street lamp, and in that moment, I really knew that she was the most amazing girl I would ever meet.  
When we got to my apartment, I stopped at the base of the stairs and turned to Machi.  
“Well, this is my stop,” I joked.  
“Yeah,” she muttered. “I guess it is.”  
“Thank you,” I bowed slightly. “For letting me come along tonight. I only hope I didn’t disappoint you.”  
“No, it’s... it’s fine,” she said, glancing away from me. “It’s whatever.”  
“Well... good night.”  
I turned to walk up the stairs.  
“Hey, Michael...”  
I turned back around. Machi was still looking at the floor, and her arms were crossed.  
“I just wanted to say... this was nice,” she said tersely. “I had a good time tonight.”  
“Yeah,” I smiled. “Me too.”  
“Well... alright then.”  
We stood there for a moment like that, neither of us saying a word for fear of being the one to break the tension. Finally, I gestured up to my apartment.  
“Do you... maybe want to come upstairs?” I asked tentatively. “I could make tea or something.”  
“Ha. Yeah, right,” she said, snapping back to her usual self. “I’ll see you early tomorrow morning for more training.”  
“I thought you were leaving?”  
“I’ve changed my mind,” she shrugged. “I remembered a couple things I hadn’t taught you yet.”  
“Well, I’m looking forward to it,” I grinned.  
Machi and I gave each other a little wave as she began to head back to her hotel and I turned around again to get up the stairs and into my apartment.

***

“It wasn’t long after that that we became involved in a more... romantic capacity,” Michael smirked. “Which, coincidentally, had a huge impact on my study of Hatsu. In fact, over the next couple of years—”  
“This is all very fascinating,” Charlie interrupted. “But I’m still not seeing how this is supposed to be helpful to us.”  
“Let him tell the story, Boss,” Lou murmured.  
“Why the hell should I?” Charlie snapped at him, standing up from his chair. “This guy’s just been wasting our time!”  
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you...” muttered Domiano.  
“Well, I’m sorry that you don’t find my information as enthralling or promising as you’d hoped,” Michael said, slowly rising from his own chair.  
“Information?!” Charlie shouted. “Like you could even call it that!”  
“Look, you’re right,” Michael shrugged. “This is starting to get boring. And besides, if something’s happened in Yorknew, I’ve certainly got better places to be.”  
“Like hell you do,” Charlie pointed his gun at Michael. “You’re not going anywhere until you tell us whatever you know about the Phantom Troupe! You’ve already claimed to have ‘intimate knowledge,’ so let’s hear it! I’m talking powers, abilities, weaknesses, everything!”  
Michael stared silently into Charlie’s furious eyes for a moment, then smiled.  
“Sure, why not,” he laughed. “I’ve certainly kept you waiting long enough. Besides, it’s not like you’ll ever get the chance to use this information, anyway.”  
“What?”  
Michael began listing off the names and powers of the Phantom Troupe Members. He described their appearances and techniques in excruciating detail. But Charlie was not listening.  
“What do you mean?”  
Michael continued listing, undeterred. He spoke with a calm, clear voice, and a twisted grin had begun to crawl across his face.  
“Stop, damn it, and explain yourself!” Charlie bellowed, waving his gun. But Michael did not stop.  
“Are you threatening a Mafia boss?”  
Michael’s grin spread even wider. The small apartment was suddenly filled with such an intensely malicious aura that it left the three mafiosos stunned. Unable to bear anymore, Charlie mustered his remaining strength to fire his gun at Michael.  
In a mere blink, Michael dodged the fired bullet and appeared behind Charlie. He grabbed Charlie by the hair and slammed the back of his head into the kitchen counter, cracking the faux-marble countertops.  
Lou and Domiano were stunned. They stood there, mouths agape, as Michael crushed their Boss’ skull into the laminate with little more than his bare hands. Domiano was the first to regain his senses.  
“You... you bastard!”  
“Ahh...” Michael turned his attention to Domiano. “You’ve got a pretty strong aura, kid.”  
“Shut up!” Domiano screamed as he drew his own gun.  
“Still want to break my knees, eh?”  
“You’re dead, pal!”

***

Michael materialized back in his apartment and looked disdainfully at the hole in his kitchen countertop.  
Damn... I really took that a little too far, didn’t I?  
He sighed and began to rearrange the chairs. He had used his Nen to clean the place up a little, but even with the bodies gone he still had a lot of cleaning to do. Then, he remembered what that Mafia guy had said about the Troupe.  
Shit, Machi, he thought. I had better go and check on her.  
Michael looked down at his right hand, at the simple silver band wrapped around the ring finger. It was inscribed with odd symbols and markings, a telltale sign of Nen infusion. In fact, the ring was a key component in one of Michael’s signature abilities.  
Michael smiled and began to concentrate his aura. His mind wandered to Machi, and the symbols on the ring began to glow in response. Soon enough, Michael had vanished again, leaving behind the messy apartment.

***

When he reappeared, he was in what appeared to be the ruins of an old cathedral. It was night, and the building was only barely illuminated by a sprinkling of candles. Michael looked to his right and saw a large pool of light glowing in the next room. Stepping through the doorway, he found Machi.  
She was sitting on a large rock, her knees pulled up to her chest. About six feet away from her, a mass of candles stood around a bed of soft, white flowers. Machi was staring intently at it, but Michael could tell her mind had gone elsewhere.  
Michael took another step into the room, hanging back just enough to give her a little bit of distance.  
“Machi...”  
Machi looked up at him, her eyes betraying a hint of surprise.  
“Michael?”  
“Hey.”  
He walked over to her and she slid over to one side of the rock to give him room to sit.  
“What are you doing here?”  
“A couple of Mafia guys came around the apartment today, looking for information on the Spiders.”  
“Did you give them any?”  
“Not really,” Michael shrugged. “Not until I was about to kill them, anyway.”  
“Idiot. They could have been wearing listening devices.”  
“They weren’t.”  
“Fine.”  
A moment of silence passed between them.  
“I had heard from them that something happened.”  
“Oh, it happened alright,” Machi grimaced. “Just ask Pakunoda.”  
She gestured at the flowers and candles, and Michael could see that Pakunoda’s gun was resting among the wax and flower petals.  
“Is she...” Michael began.  
“Yeah.”  
“I’m sorry, Machi.”  
“Don’t be,” she muttered. “What’s done is done.”  
“Where are the others?”  
“Gone, I think,” her voice sounded bitter. “They all wanted to play some stupid video game.”  
“A video game?”  
“Yeah. Phinks and Feitan seem to think it’ll help us get back the Boss.”  
“Chrollo? What’s happened to him?”  
“It was that damn Kurapika,” Machi growled, slamming a fist into her knee. “If it hadn’t been for him, none of this would have happened!”  
Her face was as cold and stoic as ever, but I could see a tear beginning to form in the corner of her eye.  
“Do you... want to talk about it?”  
“No,” she replied. “I just need some space.”  
“Alright, then.”  
Michael rose from the stone and turned to walk away. He knew better than to pry. When Machi was ready to talk, she would.  
“Michael,” Machi’s voice rose to meet him, soft and nearly cracking. “Don’t leave me.”  
Michael sat back down next to her and put a protective arm around her shoulder.  
“I would never leave you.”  
And Michael held her like that, alone, in the dark, with tears silently streaming down her stiff, frozen face, their shadows flickering through the candlelight at Pakunoda’s vigil.


End file.
